Brazilian courts suspend municipal rodeo festivals over budget concerns

A judge in Mato Grosso issued a temporary injunction that halted the Rodeio Nossa Senhora Aparecida 2026 in Guiratinga. The suspension follows a public civil action filed by the state Public Ministry, which questioned the municipality’s plan to spend roughly R$ 784,000 on a duet and R$ 130,000 on a group without a confirmed overall budget and amid higher‑priority needs in health and education.

In Goiás, a judge barred the city of Firminópolis from allocating R$ 2.44 million for its 4th Rodeio Show 2026 after the state Public Ministry argued the expense exceeded the town’s financial capacity and was not backed by a specific budget line. The court noted that the municipality faced pressing issues such as landfill remediation, elderly care services, sewage infrastructure and environmental compensation, and that the rodeo’s cost far outweighed spending on permanent public projects. Both decisions were based on concerns about compliance with fiscal legality and administrative morality.